Brand Identity

Graphic Design

Tablecloths of Gentrification, 2016

Tablecloths of gentrification is a series of design experiement, during the research project: Laboratory of Speculative Ethnology lead by Dr. Elizabeth Chin. The project questions how to tangibilize the experience of gentrification, in order to find methods to boost communication between local residences and newcomers in the gentrified area in Los Angeles (includes Highland Park, DTLA, Inglewood and Boyle Heights).

What would be the possible physical, autonomous mediums (other than smartphone application or website) to connect people with different ideas about ‘home’ in the community. What is the alternative methods to view gentrification other than default set of assumptions about civic data.

“For ethnographers, the speculative flights of fancy typical in design are antithetical to our methods and our goals. Another stumbling block is that design speculation too often defaults to a set of assumptions privileging modernist form, westocentric ideas, capitalist world view, and, increasingly, neoliberalism.”
- Elizabeth Chin

RESEARCH METHODS1. Analyze Census Explorer to gather data and visualize data fabrics
2. Interview and performance with Suit of Inquiry
3. Tablecloths as a fabric to create space to evoke conversations and break tension between different group of people in the gentrified community.